Kafka's Chimp - 1996 Opera Production 

Banff Production Goes Swedish!

Opera Story Line Creative Team Casting Orchestra Schedule Swedish Reaction

Kafka's Chimp, an opera by composer John Metcalf and librettist Mark Morris and originally developed and produced by Banff Theatre Arts' 20th Century Opera and Song Department, received its European premiere March 7 to 22, 1999, performed by the Piteå Chamber Opera. In addition to Piteå, Kafka's Chimp toured to the Swedish cities of Östersund, Umeå, and Härnösand, performing in the theatres of three other companies who are affiliated with Piteå Chamber Opera through a shared vision of a national stage.

"The Banff Centre for the Arts has been a leader in developing new work in the opera/music theatre form." comments Kjell Englund, artistic director of the Piteå Chamber Opera. "Now we will present this magnificent and delightful piece for the Swedish audience. I am excited and proud to add Kafka's Chimp to our repertoire. Our goal is to be a dynamo for new chamber opera production into the next century." Piteå Chamber Opera is known for developing the opera form through cross-disciplinary 'marriages' with film, theatre and multimedia.

Inspired by Franz Kafka's short story Report to the Academy, Kafka's Chimp received its world premiere at the 1996 Banff Arts Festival. The Banff production was described as a wonderful piece of music theatre (The Globe and Mail) and ...highly imaginative and brilliantly executed (Calgary Herald). For the new production Englund assembled a primarily Swedish cast and creative team, in a translation by KG Johansson. Included in his mix where bass Michael Douglas Jones and stage director Keith Turnbull, both from the original production.

Turnbull, Banff Theatre Arts Artistic Director and Executive Producer commented, "It's gratifying that the years of developmental research which create an innovative work like Kafka's Chimp are making connections to a new audience. I am challenged and excited by the opportunity of working with a company which believes that new forms connect to new audiences and, needless to say, I am looking forward to hearing how it reverberates in Swedish."

About Kafka's Chimp:
The narrative follows the assimilation of a chimpanzee into Western civilization. Captured on the Gold Coast of Africa, Red Peter discovers in the high-rises of metropolis that he must become a human in order to survive. A study of contradictions &endash; the polarization of instinct and intellect that seems endemic to the 20th century &endash; Kafka's Chimp is a gentle social comedy that looks in the mirror and cries ape.

1999 Swedish Tour (Kafka's Schimpans)

PITEÅ CHAMBER OPERA

Kjell Englund - artistic director

Box 972
S-971 29 LULEA
SWEDEN
(46) 920 23 66 64

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CREATIVE TEAM

• John Metcalf - Composer
• Mark Morris - Librettist
• KG Johansson - Translator
• Hans Ek - Music Director
• Keith Turnbull - Stage Director
• Katarina Eriksson - Choreographer
• Bengt Gomér - Set/Costume Designer
• Linus Fellbom - Lighting Designer
• KG Johansson - assistant director

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CASTING

• Arne Lundmark - Röd-Peter, baritone
• Michael Douglas Jones - Direktören, bass
• Cecilia Nannesson - Kaye, soprano
• Anna Norrby - Frieda, mezzo-soprano
• Pelle Olofsson - Vaktmästare/Servitör, tenor
• Katarina Eriksson - Petronella, dancer
• Sandra Medina - Petra, dancer
• Daniel Andersson - Unge Peter/Pierrot, dancer

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ORCHESTRA

• Marianne Csizmadia - violin
• Emma Tysk - viola
• Daniel Saur - marimba
• Jim O'Leary - percussion
• Ulf Tilly - soprano saxophone
• Piotr Siwek - contrabass
• Malin Delander - piano

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SCHEDULE

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